


The Next Door Neighbor

by Narryisstillgoingstrong



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Romance, Sad, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-11 20:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1177748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Narryisstillgoingstrong/pseuds/Narryisstillgoingstrong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall is a bartender and Harry is an author and they are neighbours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really suck at summary so if u like the idea of Harry and Niall being neighbours then you should read this story to find out what happens....

"Let's break up." 

 

He said softly, after telling Harry how grateful he was to have him for all these years. 

 

Harry looked up from his plate of unfinished pasta, and into the brown eyes that showed no signs of joking. Swallowing deeply, Harry rested the fork beside the plate, slipping both of his hands into his jacket's pockets as he shifted his vision away from his boyfriend's eyes that showed how long he had been thinking of initiating the break up. It hurt Harry just by purely staring at them. There was a brief silence, and Harry knew he was supposed to say something from how the other was just staring at him silently, waiting to see any slightest response that Harry would have. But Harry's mind was totally blank. He could only stare at his plate of pasta with his mind blank and nothing else.

 

He finally tore his vision away from the plate of food to his boyfriend when he heard the screeching sound of the chair's legs against the polished wooden floor, alerting Harry that his boyfriend was going to leave. He quickly grabbed the wrist of the other, swallowing deeply as he thought hard about what he should say.

 

"I..." Harry looked into his boyfriend's eyes once again. "You..."

 

A soft smile was formed on the other lips as his fingers ran through Harry's soft curly hair.

 

"I will move out by the end of tonight and, take this."

 

Harry's hand was pushed away gently, and the next moment he found the warm wrist being replaced with a cold and thin envelope. He closed his hand tightly around it, creasing the envelope as he parted his lips, only to find all the words he wanted to say to get his boyfriend to stay were stuck in his throat, causing him to gape like a fool.

 

"Sorry, Harry." 

 

He closed his eyes when a pair of warm lips were pressed gently against his forehead, the pads of his boyfriend's thumbs sliding over his cheeks. And that was when Harry finally realized that tears were actually falling without himself realizing it.

 

"I'm going then."

 

Then he left, leaving Harry to shed more tears silently alone in the pub restaurant as he opened the envelope, to find that it contained a cheque with too many zeros to count. A letter of apology was in it too, and the contents were about how they just didn't fit each other anymore and how the money was to compensate Harry for all these years.

 

For the nine years they were together.

 

\----

 

He remained in his seat, his eyes which were sore from the crying stared at the lifeless envelope on the table. He had been sitting here for approximately five hours after his... previous boyfriend left the restaurant. The sky turned from a pretty shade of orange to black, and just black. No stars were there to sparkle, and even the moon was blocked by dark clouds that warned Harry that rain was approaching.

 

Harry didn't want to return home and see his ex-boyfriend packing up to go. He could imagine how the house would look like when he go home - the closet wouldn't look that crammed up anymore after the other's clothes were gone, and all the matching mugs, toothbrushes, slippers they bought wouldn't be complete anymore. Just thinking of it had his heart hung low, so why even go home and see it happening himself? He would rather stay here, noticing all the familiar-looking waiters and waitresses looking at him, with wonders of why he was sitting there at his seat for five hours long not moving but just staring.

 

He knew, he was starting to look out of the place. More and more people that were dressed in clothes suitable for clubbing entered the restaurant - no, this place turned into a pub at night and there was him sitting at the table by the corner wearing clothes that people would only wear to the nearby convenience store at night when nobody would be bothered to look.

 

Perhaps he should leave. It had been five hours, the other must had moved out already.

 

"Do you prefer wine or beer?"

 

He lifted his head at that question and saw a person that was dressed in the restaurant's uniform staring at him, with a glass of alcohol.

 

Harry remembered this person - he worked in this restaurant since many years ago. It wasn't that Harry paid extra attention to this waiter-in-the-day and bartender-in-the-night but the person's blonde hair always got Harry's attention when he came here. Whenever this restaurant was mentioned, besides all the good food that were sold here, Harry would always remember that there is this person with blonde hair working there. But his name... 

 

Harry snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the person chuckling.

 

"Are you there?" Harry nodded quickly. "Did you hear what I've just asked you?"

 

It took Harry few seconds or so before he finally recalled what the question was.

 

"Ah... Wine, not really a fan of beer."

 

"A fan of wine then?"

 

"Not really."

 

"True, nothing can ever win your favorite food and drink - Tacos and apple juice." The person sighed a little. "Don't you feel weird? Normally you will be going home at about four hours ago."

 

Harry blinked at the person's words. How did he even...?

 

"Hey, do you know my name?"

 

"... No?"

 

The person broke into a small laughter as he took the seat that his ex-boyfriend was previously sitting at, and stared at Harry with blue eyes that had turned into crescents from the bright smile.

 

"Niall Horan. I thought you would know, since I've been working here for six years." Harry was about to speak until the bartender decided to continue his words. "I know, you are Harry Styles. Twenty-four years old, working as an author. You fall so easily that it always worries your boyfriend of nine years, Zayn Malik, who has been living with you until today."

 

Harry found himself holding his breath for a split second when Niall brought up his boyfriend, reminding him about the break up. It wasn't that Harry didn't expect them to break up, but he didn't expect it to be that soon. He thought there might be a chance when the both of them actually talked things out carefully, and just try to get things back to usual when the other still loved Harry, but not just cherish him as a family.

 

"What do you even know," Harry's hands went to the envelope and slipped it into his jacket's pocket as he stared at the person, trying to keep his emotions in control. He felt his privacy was being intruded, by this person that he didn't know what method he used to find out those things about him. "You don't even know me that well."

 

Niall nodded with a slight smile, his face resting on his cheek lazily as he placed the drink onto the table.

 

"At least I know your favorite food here is Tacos and grilled chicken with chips, you order other types of chickens here when your inspiration for writing is up and you need something new. You have pastas when you come here with your boyfriend, because apparently he doesn't like chickens. Anyway, it's pretty easy to know how your mood is from the food you order. The plainer it is, the moodier you are. "

 

Niall's smile widened when he saw Harry's surprised look.

 

"There's still a lot of more, want to hear it?" He didn't wait for Harry's answer to continue. "You play with your fingers when you are nervous, you have your hands in your pants or jacket's pockets when you feel defenseless, you scratch the back of your neck when you don't like what is going on and find it hard to refuse. You always bite your bottom lip, and the reason varies-"

 

"Stalker."

 

Harry frowned a little when the bartender laughed while fixing his hair before returning to look at him in the eyes. Harry felt himself shifting his vision away at that.

 

"You always play slow and soothing songs during weekends, while you continuously write for straight six hours. You sing while showering, and you always prepare one sausage and two eggs for your boyfriend's breakfast. You dislike weekends because your boyfriend would be out of the house till night, and you usually either write or just talk to your best friend Louis on phone until it is time to prepare dinner."

 

Harry nearly got choked on the saliva that he swallowed, and stared at Niall with his widened orbs. How did this person even...?

 

"Hi, my neighbor of six years." Niall grinned. "You should take time noticing things around you and remember that the walls are really thin in that building. I can hear you very clearly, in whatever cases."

 

\----

 

"I told you to stop following me, stalker!"

 

"Does alcohol let you suffer from severe short-term memory? I just told you I live beside you!" Niall laughed in disbelief as he dragged Harry, who was wandering dangerously close to the busy road nearer to him. "It isn't like I want to stalk you, but who told you to be a regular at where I'm working and also my neighbor." 

 

Harry felt their shoulders knocking lightly, and sighed loudly. He also wondered why he was going home together with Niall. 

 

After learning that Niall could seriously hear every single thing that was going on in the house, Harry was just too embarrassed and just finished the whole glass of alcohol that he spotted on the table. It was then he realized, from the surprised look on Niall's features that the alcohol the glass contained wasn't something that he should drink from his level of liquor. His head spun immediately, and he almost vomited if not for Niall who stuffed sweets into his mouth. Harry immediately exited the restaurant afterward, knowing that home was probably the best choice. Niall suddenly appeared beside him afterward, telling him that his work shift had ended for the day and he could walk Harry home.

 

"Nobody told you to listen to what I'm doing in the house!"

 

"I can't help it," Niall shrugged as he tugged Harry to stop at his tracks when the red light lit up. "You were loud."

 

Harry gaped at Niall for a brief moment before squatting down to bury his face in the crack of his knees due to the pure embarrassment he felt. Seriously, he just wished that there was a huge hole somewhere near for him to live in forever. He heard a soft chuckle coming from above which belonged to Niall, and the next moment he felt his hair being ruffled. He looked up to see Niall's bright smile, and frowned at him disapprovingly.

 

"My privacy is being severely intruded, and all you can do is smile?" Harry's frown got deeper when Niall just smiled even brighter. "I didn't even listen to what you were doing."

 

"I don't have anything for you to listen to, and you didn't even notice me in the first place. So why would you even bother listening to what I'm doing?"

 

Harry was about to retort until Niall pulled him up when the green light appeared.

 

\-----

 

It was until Niall pushed open the door of the apartment opposite of his that had Harry finally believing that the bartender was really his neighbor. He stood there, gaping at the small view of Niall's apartment that could be seen through the opened door. His neighbor had a satisfied smile as he leaned onto the door way, his arms folded across his chest.

 

"See? I told you."

 

Niall chuckled when Harry just rolled his eyes, unimpressed. 

 

"Why do you even bother remembering my daily life's activities," 

 

Harry muttered softly under his breath as he unlocked the door to his apartment, finding himself unable to push the door open. He feared what was hidden behind this wooden door, he feared the lonely atmosphere that would be lingering in the apartment, he feared all the missing pieces in his apartment, and he feared how he would wake up to see nobody lying beside him, sleeping peacefully. All of a sudden he wished the glass of alcohol he drank earlier was actually stronger, so that he wouldn't even think of all these.

 

"Just when I was making a touching speech, you spaced out." 

 

Harry woke up from his thoughts when Niall snapped his fingers, and found that the bartender was leaning onto the wall beside his unlocked door instead of going inside his own apartment. 

 

"Sorry, I was just..." The author felt the pain in his head throb even more, and leaned his forehead onto wooden door. How he wished that his ex-boyfriend would still be in the house, and make a cup of tea after seeing how drunk he was. But it was impossible, right? Harry swallowed deeply as he pushed himself off the door, having Niall's arms around his shoulders when he nearly fell. "I don't feel like going inside,"

 

Harry's forehead was pressed onto Niall's chest, and heard the steady heartbeats of the bartender. 

 

Thump, thump, thump. 

 

It was comfortable; it surprisingly eased the pain that was throbbing so badly in his head. It was so comfy; Harry never knew someone's heartbeats could be so soothing. Could it be that alcohol and heartbeats attract? He felt like staying at where he was and listened to the steady heartbeats until the pain wore off. Niall's hands were running through his hair lightly, just like what his ex-boyfriend always did before.

 

"Don't say things like that, I might attack you." He felt Niall pulling him away from the comfortable heartbeats' rhythm, and frowned in disapproval. "Now, just get inside."

 

He saw the door of his home coming into his vision again as the bartender turned him around. He tugged Niall close, with the feelings of not wanting to go inside strong. His index finger poked where Niall's heart was located twice.

 

"I would rather get in here,"

 

Harry smiled briefly before leaning his face close to the chest again. Niall remained silent at Harry's words then, leaving the author happily listening to the bartender's heartbeat as he hugged him close. After a minute of listening to Niall's heartbeat, he heard the bartender saying something alike to "since eight years ago". He looked up, wondering what the bartender even meant when their lips were crashed together.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry opened his eyes, and felt like the whole world was spinning. The ceiling was at where the floor was supposed to be at - and all of a sudden they switched positions again repeatedly. Harry groaned as he suddenly felt the pain in his head a little too hard to stand, and quickly sat up, to feel a warm arm over his waist.

 

Harry immediately jumped as he pushed the arm away, his first instinct telling him that it belonged to a ghost because he no longer had a boyfriend that lives with him anymore... and then the memory of the past night just swarmed into his mind, about how his neighbor and his lips were crashed together. Harry thought he was going to get a heart attack when he looked to his left and saw the bartender lying just right beside him. The blanket slipped down a little when the other shifted in his sleep, and Harry got choked on his saliva and coughed badly when he saw the bare shoulders of Niall.

 

The bartender seemed to be awoken by his coughing, and the next moment he could see the sleepy pair of blue orbs staring into his eyes.

 

"Morning," Niall pushed himself up on the elbows. "Last night, you were seriously-"

 

"W-Wait a minute," Harry ruffled his own hair in frustration and panic when he finally came to understand what just happened between him and Niall. "I don't want to know."

 

Harry immediately jumped out of the bed before Niall could even say anything, only to get tripped on his own feet and fall, bringing the whole blanket down which tangled his limbs terribly. Harry groaned in embarrassment as he heard Niall chuckling on the bed. He pulled his arms out of his favorite beige-colored blanket, and flinched when Niall was suddenly beside him, helping him to remove the blanket around his legs. 

 

"Wear something first before coming!" Harry pushed Niall's helping hands away hurriedly, and found himself getting more flustered when Niall ruffled his hair with a goofy smile instead of doing what he had said. "It's definitely not funny, stalker. You definitely need to know what's fine to laugh at and what's not-"

 

"Look at me, look at yourself."

 

"No, you listen to me. Just wear your clothes and go home already, it's less than twenty steps!"

 

"You are really stupid."

 

"And you are a stalker who rapes."

 

Harry pushed his eyebrows together when Niall started to laugh so hard that his hand had to clutch onto his aching stomach. The bartender really was, he really had so many ways to leave Harry speechless and helpless. Niall was actually in the mood for laughter when this actually happened. How-

 

"How silly can you get, Harry." Niall smacked his forehead as he sat onto the floor, crossing his legs which weren't... bare. He still had his black jeans from last night on; all that was missing was just his plain black tee. "I told you already. Look at me, and look at yourself."

 

Harry's expression was never that puzzled in his entire life, and before he could even respond to Niall's words, the whole blanket was tugged off himself and he came into the sight of his comfortable skinny jeans. He was only topless and... 

 

"So your point is?"

 

"You puked all over my shirt before we could even do anything." Niall shrugged as he stood up, pulling the blanket into his hands. "I had to take it off, and then... do I really have to explain everything? You know what happens next, with you scrambling to your bed after whining about how sleepy you are and me being too tired, standing right beside your bed after clearing up the mess you made at the living room."

 

Harry's racing heartbeat started to steady as minutes passed, after finding out what really happened. He laughed at the thought of how silly he was earlier, and fell back onto the carpet in relief. Getting shocked that early morning was definitely not a great thing - He felt the brown carpet's fabric tickling the skin of his back, and opened his eyes with a question in his mind.

 

"Then why is my shirt removed?"

 

"Harry, you do know what we would have done if you didn’t puke all over me right?" Harry nodded, still not quite understanding why his shirt was taken off. Niall scratched the back of his neck, chuckling softly at Harry's blank expression."Isn't getting naked for that normal?"

 

Harry gaped at Niall for another five minutes.

 

"Even if you are not a rapist, you can't be anything better than that."

 

Niall just laughed, throwing the blanket onto the bed as he exited the room, his back getting hit by the pillow that Harry had hurled towards him mercilessly. The author huffed in exasperation when the bartender was out of the room, the cologne of the other still lingering in the room. The usual scent of Zayn was totally covered, and that was when Harry realized he was already spending his first morning without him.

 

Everything looked the same, except for the closet that Harry knew would be half-empty and... He couldn't see their matching slippers beside the bed. Perhaps he actually threw that away, in order to not remind Harry constantly about their long running relationship which lasted for twelve years. It made Harry feel lonely, at the absence of all the matching accessories they once had but, the author guessed that it was for the better too.

 

The author thought he would be waking up in this room alone, with the loneliness suffocating him badly as he realized how much he would miss Zayn.

 

"Aren't you going to wash up?" Niall suddenly appeared at the doorway, with a glass of water in his hands. "I'm going to prepare breakfast."

 

Harry nodded his head, ignoring the fact that the bartender was actually using the kitchen that he valued so much. He breathed in deeply as he stood up, finally coming to terms that his life would be changing from this morning onwards. He knew it would be hard to get use to life without Zayn, but he would try. 

 

"Really, is your hobby spacing out?" Niall broke into his usual toothy grin. "But no worries, it's a cute habit."

 

Harry looked at the smiling person standing at the doorway, and thought about how much he wanted to thank the bartender for helping him to pull through the first morning that he thought would be the toughest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! hope you enjoy this chapter and please comment/give kudos!! <3<3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to comment and give kudos!! x

Harry's thoughts on making peace with this stalker who he felt was cheery and actually, kindhearted totally vanished after seeing the mess that his precious kitchen was in.

 

"I appreciate the thought that you wanted to prepare a great breakfast," Harry mumbled, flatly. "But if that involves getting the whole kitchen into this drastic mess...”

 

Niall smiled at Harry's words, and shrugged to show the author that he actually was kind of - really, kind of sorry for dirtying his kitchen. Harry sighed softly as he picked the bottle of oil which was at the corner up, and turned to see a plate of scrambled eggs, 2 sliced sausages, tomatoes and bacon in Niall's hands. He looked contented with what he had made his smile a little brighter than usual.

 

"A great breakfast is a great way of starting off a great day!" Niall grinned as he pushed the plate into Harry's hands. "Here, have it!"

 

The sliced sausages look somewhat... raw.

 

"... Thanks."

-

 

"Don't stare at me like that!" Niall laughed, with a sheepish look on his face. "I make great cocktails and coffee alright?"

 

"That," Harry spat the slice of sausage out in a tissue paper. It is probably the first time that Harry actually finds a dish with sausage tasted badly, like really bad. "Does not mean that you are a great cook."

 

Niall shrugged as he leaned back onto his seat, his leg crossing over the other one. In terms of courtesy, Harry finished the rest of the food that the bartender had made. If the sausage was at least, cooked, Harry would really finish it since the bartender put in effort in making it. But well, that wasn't the case.

 

"I don't think you are going to be full like that," Harry nodded immediately at Niall's words, and the bartender laughed in response. "Fast food delivery?"

 

The author was about to say that it would be a lot better if he were to cook himself until he was interrupted by his phone which vibrated on the table. "Wait a minute," Harry mumbled to Niall as he picked his phone up, and read the message that was from Louis.

 

_"Shit, I ran into him earlier and he told me that both of you broke up. Though I expected it, but isn't that like - too soon? And oh, I'm coming over to your place now. You're probably not in the mood to cook so... I'm bringing some food over for you. Be thankful my dear."_

 

Food.

 

_"I'm very thankful, Lou. Really."_

 

Niall, who was also looking at the message, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Harry rested his phone on the table as he turned to look at the bartender, noticing that he had a question in mind.

 

"Yes, stalker?"

 

"You mean the both of you know that the break up was going to occur sooner or later?" Harry blinked. How did he know again? "I mean, yesterday night you were muttering something about how you didn't expect the break up to actually happen that soon, which meant-"

 

"The feelings were fading," Harry pushed himself off the seat as he picked the plate of unfinished breakfast up. "I mean, for him."

 

He could remember how their relationship started to go downhill. The feelings of love that his ex-boyfriend held for him became non-existent; Harry was totally being treated like a family member instead of a lover. He always texted Louis about it and knew it was sooner or later that they would finally come to terms that Zayn's feelings were gone and that it was better if they split up, but he didn't know it would be so sudden. Furthermore, it was him, the one who was always so gentle and caring that initiated it.

 

It was just... he probably should just stop thinking about it.

 

Harry noticed the apologetic look on Niall's face, the bartender was sorry for bringing up the topic of his ex-boyfriend when it was only the previous day that they broke up. He was about to give Niall a pat on the shoulder, telling him to wipe that look off his face and that he was really fine until the bartender pulled him closer for a hug. Harry was taken aback at that action, but later sighed in understanding when he thought that the bartender was probably someone that excelled in skin ship.

 

"I'm not a baby, stalker-"

 

"Since you couldn't have a great breakfast to start off a great day, then let's use the alternative way - a hug makes everything fine."

 

Harry couldn't help but break into a small smile when he realized that the bartender probably had a lot of theories that he had created himself. He was probably a person that would never lose in an argument since he had so much explanations and theories that appeared out of nowhere.

 

He guessed he was thankful for that, too.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry was sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to the television while holding onto the bowl of fried rice that Louis had made. His best-friend was seated beside him, staring at him with a way that made him uncomfortable. Very much, uncomfortable. The stare had been coming from Louis ever since he entered the apartment, to see a shirtless Niall leaving after realizing the author probably had a lot to tell his best-friend. As Niall passed Louis to exit the apartment, his best-friend just eyed Niall suspiciously, and then turned to Harry who just grabbed onto the bowl that he knew had food that was edible and tasted more than just great inside.

 

"I think," Louis finally said what was on his mind. "You have some explanation to do about why a shirtless man just left your house in the early morning before my thoughts play out in the worst way."

 

Oh.

 

"... I was drunk, yesterday at the restaurant - you know the one that I always go to?"

 

Louis clicked his tongue in annoyance, and Harry took that as a cue to not continue speaking the obvious.

 

"The shirtless person you just saw is Niall, he works there and he is... my neighbor." Harry paused afterwards, still finding it quite a miracle that Niall was really his neighbor. "I vomited all over him when we... when he was helping me into the house. And he was too tired after cleaning up the whole mess I made, so he slept at, the couch."

 

Harry gulped when Louis's face showed that he didn't trust his words at all.

 

"Fine, I lied." Harry grinned sheepishly. "He slept on the floor."

 

Louis's doubtful face was still there, and Harry felt a little guilty when his best-friend actually decided to believe his words after the author just continued eating like there was nothing wrong with his words. He shifted his vision to the closed door, he knew not far behind it had the grey colored door that would lead to Niall's apartment. Was the bartender listening to all this, and chuckling at how Harry was actually lying lousily to his own best-friend due to him?

 

Harry made a face at the thought of that.

 

"That's really a coincidence then," Louis mumbled as he took the fashion magazine up from the table. "He works at your favorite pub-restaurant, and he is your neighbor - not forgetting the fact that there are only two apartments at the top floor."

 

Harry shrugged as he thought about how all these would be possible, since the bartender was a certified stalker.

 

"But, I don't remember you telling me that you have become friends with your only neighbor,"

 

Harry raised an eyebrow, nearly saying that they weren't even friends. But considering what had happened from the last late evening till this morning... They talked like they were, didn't they?

 

"We became friends only yesterday." He muttered softly under his breath as he stood up from his seat, the bowl of fried rice finished. He noticed the look on Louis, as if telling Harry that it was totally wrong to have someone you had only known for one day to stay overnight at your house, especially when you were drunk. "If he was to up to no good, he would have done it yesterday. I'm still alive and kicking, right?"

 

Louis just rolled his eyes.

 

Harry entered the kitchen that had been cleaned up, and rested the bowl gently into the sink. As he turned on the water, he used his other free hand to open the cabinet above, for the white mug with orange spots that he always used. When he couldn't feel anything at where his mug usually would be, he turned off his tap and looked up to where his right hand was. Right away, Harry could tell which two mugs were missing from it.

 

He held his breath for a short while.

 

"Harry?" Louis took small steps into the kitchen, noticing the blank expression on his best-friend. "What's wrong?"

 

The author stared at the cabinet, his hands gripping onto the edge of the counter tightly. Of course, he should have known that the cups would be taken away too, seeing how all their other matching stuff was taken away. Of course, it would include their first ever matching item, when they bought after much scrimping and saving for the whole two months. Harry could still remember vividly, of how they treated the two spotted mugs like treasures as they paid for it at the counter, wearing their high-school uniforms. It was one of Harry's favorite memories from the past.

 

The mugs were precious to Harry, to them.

 

"Lou," Harry heaved out a deep breath as he looked at his best-friend, whose eyes showed that he was worried. All of a sudden, the whole house was suffocating him with how empty it felt. Totally. "Never thought that someday I would be all alone in this apartment. I mean, it's not that hard for me to accept it but just... the changes are a little too big for me to get use to it."

 

His best-friend just smiled as he pulled a plain, white mug out of the cabinet and pushed it into Harry's hands gently, as if telling him to get used to the change soon.

 

"No one knows what is going to happen next, Haz." The author just stared at the white mug that was empty as Louis took something up from the counter. "But when we lose something,"

 

Harry blinked and tilted his head up, to look at Louis in the eyes when his best-friend filled the white mug with water to the brim.

 

"We will gain something."

 

\--

 

Harry found himself at the pub-restaurant again at the afternoon, with a plate of unfinished plain chicken sandwich and his laptop on the table. It was said that solitary was great, but Harry was pretty sure that he was feeling nothing that was near to that. He felt lost, suddenly. He didn't know what else he could do after Louis left the house. He spent about fifteen minutes telling his best-friend how he would detest being in that house all alone, he just didn't like to be in there. But Louis had to go, and Harry understood since its all work. Louis would stay if he could, Harry knew.

 

In the past, he would text Zayn to ask him what food he felt like eating that day, and then he would find himself in the grocery store, with a to-buy list. But currently, he no longer had somebody who he had to cook for, and Louis brought over food for dinner, so he would just heat things up when he feels hungry later on. He didn't even have to go to the grocery store to shop.

 

And so he was here, trying to get a new story-line kicking in his mind by eating in his favorite restaurant. But two hours had passed, and nothing had come up. The text document page was empty and blank, without a single word written on it. Harry could only sigh as he tried harder to get some inspiration. He actually intended to start a new story, so to get himself distraction from all those silly thoughts-

 

"You're not feeling great, yea?"

 

Harry looked up from his food, and saw the bartender taking the seat opposite to his. Niall was poking at the sandwich, which looked plain and dry. Harry personally didn't like eating chicken like this, it was plain and, he didn't think he would like to have a heavy meal when his mood wasn't that great.

 

_"Anyway, it's pretty easy to know how your mood is from the food you order. The plainer it is, the moodier you are. "_

 

Niall really understood him, and Harry couldn't help but think if the bartender had known as much as his boyfriend did. Zayn was a quiet person, and although they rarely talked to each other at the last few months of their relationship, Harry could at least feel how his boyfriend still-

 

"Don't go drifting away again," Harry blinked when the bartender suddenly leaned forward and snapped his fingers. "You really love dreaming a lot."

 

The author just smiled and shrugged, his hand which was on the table pushing the plate further away from himself. It was weird how sometimes he found the mood to eat, and the next moment his appetite would just vanish, when he got reminded of Zayn. The bartender just shifted the plate to the side, knowing that Harry didn't have the appetite.

 

"It's still early, the sun's still up." Niall ruffled his hair gently as he smiled. "Don't get your mood down so soon."

 

Harry sighed as he looked outside of the window. The white clouds were up there, unable to veil the bright sun behind. Everything looked so sunny, so bright and cheery. The early weather almost seemed perfect for-

 

Wait.

 

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as he watched Niall pulling his laptop over to surf the net. "Afternoon shift today?"

 

The bartender looked up, and broke into a bright grin.

 

"Want some coffee? I'm a barista currently."

 

Harry chuckled, pushing his laptop to close as he pulled it back.

 

"I think I'm just going to go home and take a long nap until-"

 

"Let's go out after my shifts over in about... three hours time? You can go home and bathe or change first, if you want." Niall laughed, after noticing the look that was on Harry's face. "No, I'm not going to do anything weird to you but just, I suppose you wouldn't want to stay at home anyway, right?"

 

_"The whole house is so empty, Lou. Being alone here is really suffocating and... lonely."_

 

Harry had a faint smile on him as he nodded, watching as Niall's grin widened. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he was reminded of something, and quickly punched the barista-of-the-day on the shoulder.

 

"What are you hitting me for?!"

 

"You listened to what Louis and I were talking about earlier in the morning!" Harry sighed, ignoring the stares that were coming from the other customers in the restaurant. "We weren't even that loud!"


End file.
